Mechanical thrombectomy for acute occlusion of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery: A case report

BACKGROUND Mechanical thrombectomy(MT)has been demonstrated to be useful for the treatment of ischemic stroke in patients with large vessel occlusions.However,recanalization by MT is not recommended for distal vessels such as second-order branches of the middle cerebral artery and posterior inferior cerebellar artery(PICA).Because of the small size and tortuosity of these arteries,the risks of using the available endovascular devices outweigh the benefits of treatment.However,MT appears to be effective in patients with primary distal vessel occlusion in eloquent areas,those with a high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score,and those ineligible for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator therapy.Here,we report the use of MT for treating acute occlusion of the PICA using a directaspiration first-pass technique(ADAPT).CASE SUMMARY In this case,the patient received acute occlusion of the PICA with ADAPT when right internal carotid artery stenting was performed.CONCLUSION With the introduction of advanced endovascular devices,MT may now be a feasible treatment for acute occlusion of the PICA.

Cerebellar artery infarction with sudden hearing loss and vertigo as initial symptoms: A case report

BACKGROUND Sudden hearing loss(SHL)is associated with serious systematic conditions such as neoplasms,vascular events,autoimmune diseases,infections,and iatrogenic injury.Some authors report that SHL can be an early warning sign of impending vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke.It is important to distinguish stroke from benign disease.CASE SUMMARY A 48-year-old male patient presented with SHL and vertigo as first symptoms.Diffusion-weighted imaging revealed high signal intensity in the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery territory of the cerebellar hemisphere and high signal intensity in the right pons and bridge cerebellar arm,confirming that the patient had cerebral infarction.Treatment with antiplatelet drugs,steroid antiinflammatory drugs,and neurotrophic nerve therapy promoted blood circulation and removed blood stasis,and the symptoms of the patient were significantly improved.CONCLUSION SHL and vertigo could be the initial symptoms of vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke.

Sudden deafness as a prodrome of cerebellar artery infarction:Three case reports

BACKGROUND To summarize the clinical characteristics of acute cerebral infarction(ACI)in patients with sudden deafness(SD)as the first symptom,improve the awareness of the disease,and help diagnosis and treatment.CASE SUMMARY From 2019 to 2020,three patients with ACI with SD as the first symptom were admitted to our hospital.Pure tone audiometry,head magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),vertebral artery and carotid artery B-ultrasound,head and neck computed tomography angiography,and other examinations were performed.Following the treatment of SD,hearing and dizziness were not significantly improved.Then,the patients developed symptoms of related cranial nerve injury,and brain MRI showed cerebral infarction in the cerebellopontine angle area.All three cases were transferred to the neurology department for relevant conservative treatment.CONCLUSION Patients with ACI with SD as the first symptom usually attend the otolaryngology clinic.Here a diagnosis of SD,which is based on an audiological examination,is made and the corresponding treatment is administered.To reduce the misdiagnosis of this disease,close attention should be paid to the changes in the patient's clinical symptoms and related auxiliary examinations should be performed,such as brain MRI and cerebrovascular imaging.Otolaryngologists should pay attention to the type and severity of hearing loss,the accompanying symptoms,age,high-risk factors for cerebral infarction,and related cranial nerve symptoms in patients with SD.If the patient's early brain MRI does not show abnormalities,monitoring remains essential.The head MRI should be analyzed quickly based on the changes in the symptoms of the patient,to make an accurate diagnosis and provide the timely and correct treatment for the patients.

误诊为突发性聋的小脑前下动脉梗死临床分析

小脑前下动脉(anterior inferior cerebellar artery,AICA)脑梗死主要表现为眩晕、耳鸣耳聋、病变同侧共济失调、周围性面瘫、Horner征、向病灶侧同向凝视麻痹、面部痛觉减退、对侧肢体痛温觉减退,这些症状以不同几率出现。以这样的一组症状出现被称为典型AICA综合征。

Location of the AICA influences the severity but not occurrence of ISSNHL:A reappraisal using high-resolution 3 T MRI

Objective:To investigate the potential influence of anatomical variation in the anterior inferior cerebellar artery(AICA)on the occurrence and severity of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss(ISSNHL).Methods:Ninety ISSNHL patients were enrolled.The anatomical location of the AICA was exhibited using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),and the various AICA types classified by previously reported Chavda and Gorrie methods were analyzed.The severity of hearing loss in the ipsilateral ear among different AICA types was compared.Results:Approximately 85.6%of subjects had unilateral ISSNHL(uISSNHL),and the others had bilateral ISSNHL(bISSNHL).In the uISSNHL group,the ratios of different AICA types were similar between the ipsilateral and contralateral ears.The ratios of the different AICA types in the bISSNHL group were similar to those in the uISSNHL group.In the uISSNHL group,pure tone audiometry(PTA)thresholds at 2 kHz,4 kHz and 8 kHz of patients with Chavda type II AICA were higher than those of patients with Chavda type I and type III,with a significant difference at 4 kHz between type I and type II.There was a tendency of the PTA threshold in patients with Chavda type II or Gorrie type C to gradually increase from low to high frequency zones.Conclusion:When the AICA enters the IAC(Chavda type II)or crosses between the 7th and 8th cranial nerves(Gorrie type C),the severity and frequency of hearing impairment in ISSNHL but not the occurrence of ISSNHL will be affected.